Dave Greenbaum

Reviews

Rating distribution

We’ve been a long time fan of Jeff’s Audio Video. In my line of work at computer repair, I often get asked about all things audio and video since people figure if you know one tech thing you know them all. Alas I only wish.

Jeff Huffman is a master of his craft. He understands the ins and outs of any TV, stereo and all the stuff that connects to it : speakers, DVD, players, streaming boxes, you name it). Not only does he set it up for you, but he'll consult and buy the items for you. That's really the best of both worlds. Instead of dealing with pushy salespeople who only have quotas in mind, Jeff will pick out the ideal system for you and your needs. Overall I've found you save money using Jeff because you get the right stuff the first time, not forced to buy what's in stock in the big box. You buy an AV system to enjoy it, and if you aren't enjoying it to the fullest, you've overpaid.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Cesar Milan may be the “dog whisper” but Tom Liebel doesn’t even move his lips and dogs understand him. He’s a unique individual who serves both the patient and the animal owner. He understand these are companion animals and a key part of people’s lives. When a pet and it’s owner come into his office, he realizes the dynamics and treats them with respect and amazing compassion. He doesn’t talk down to the owner nor use jargon those in the medical profession wouldn’t understand. I completely understand when he explains health issues with our dog Tova and when I ask questions, he answers them without talking down to me.

Tom always returns phone calls and is absolutely committed to the health of the animals he’s entrusted with. Clinton Parkway Animal Hospital is more expensive than most place in town, but my dog is absolutely priceless and I can’t imagine using anyone else.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Dan Huston and his associates do an extremely good job and Dan is particularly adept with older homes. Responsive, professional and genuine are three words that always come to mind. More than once he’s found workarounds to expensive repairs saving us time and money. Considering how important electricity is to the average person, there are very few I’d trust with the safety of my family and we trust Danielson.

Log in to comment

Sign up

We’ve used Floyd’s Drain Cleaning in our home for over a decade now. Having an older home we always have some kind of problem with drainage. It doesn’t help that I shove way too much down the garbage disposal all the time. The price is very reasonable and much less than a plumber, and they respond extremely quickly day or night. Highly recommended.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Since the move from counter service to table service, the quality of the food and experience has remained the same. I was initially worried that prices or selection would change, but for the most part they haven’t. They still have daily entree and soup specials that, for me, are always a highlight of our visit.

This is South American fare, not just Tex-Mex. Expect recipe and styles of cooking from all over the region. Standards such as enchiladas and tacos are available, but more exotic ingredients are included. This place is extremely vegetarian friendly and you can order rice and beans without animal products upon request and the tofu rice bowl is a protein packed and complete treat. If I’m feeling more sinful, I might get a portabella and Roasted Red Pepper chimichanga. Salsas are tasty, but the chips aren’t usually very fresh tasting; the guac is to die for!

The service is generally speedy and friendly, and above average for a college town. A great choice!

Log in to comment

Sign up

A great reliable plumber with a personal touch. I like not dealing with a big company that’s trying to upsell a variety of products and service plans. Chuck Folks is personable and someone I completely trust in my home. We’ve used him for years and he’s done a consistently awesome job at a reasonable price.

Log in to comment

Sign up

When you are looking for a inspirational place to have a cup of coffee or get a little work done, Signs of Life is a great destination. They use PT’s Coffee which is made right in Topeka, Kansas. They have an excellent selection of seasonal and traditional beverages such as lattes and mochas. Bottomless cups of coffee are always appreciated and this is one of the few places you can get decaf at night. I always find that funny ‘cause you want a non-caffeine option at night, not during the day, but that’s just me.

The place can get busy and most seating is small tables so it’s hard if you are looking to accommodate a large study group. During peak times the Internet can be spotty. A small “cozy’ area has a few large chairs and a couch.

Along with your coffee and other drinks, they have a variety of backed goods made locally or regionally and in particular povitica bread, the yummy Eastern European ethnic treat. They are one of the only places I’ve seen it at in Lawrence and it’s a treat not to be missed.

Staff is friendly and helpful and they don’t make you carry around a punch card: they track it all on their computer. Nice! Oh and they are a Lawrence Giveback member as well.

I’ve been upstairs to the art gallery and it’s a wonderful space and a key part of the Lawrence Art Scene. The bookstore aspect of it has a Christian focus, but they have a variety of secular books. Although it is a religious bookstore, if that’s not your thing, don’t let it get in the way. Nobody is going to preach to you there or try to convert you. Everyone is welcome here!

True, the Internet can be a bit touchy if the place packed, but if you sit downstairs the signal's almost always strong. They've also recently added baked goods from Pink Box Bakery - cream cheese danish is fantastic!

Mondays, there are free tango dancing lessons upstairs in the gallery at 8 p.m.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Looking for a great selection of beer and wine on the East side of town? Look no further than On The Rocks. As a beer lover, On the Rocks is a welcome addition to this part of town. A large variety of beers by the pack and individual chilled bottles make it a great destination . If it’s distributed in Kansas, they probably have it, and have it by the bottle so you can try one before buying a six pack.

The wine and liquor selection is great. Helpful and knowledge staff make this a winning place.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Freenet is the local, independent alternative to national branded internet. This local company is directly involved in the community and a portion of every subscription is used to provide the needy and non-profits in town with fast, reliable internet and they are a pioneer in bridging the digital divide.

I’ve used their service for years both as a business in my office as well as out and about in Lawrence. With recent improvements, their system is wicked fast. My upload speed is the fastest in town hands down! When I’m close to their nodes I get up to 5M up and when I’m wired in my office it can be even faster. Download speeds are usually around 5-10M and faster than ANY wireless hotspot in Lawrence (and yes I’ve tested them all). Seriously this is amazing.

Obviously, as a wireless service, speed and reliability depends on your proximity to one of their base stations so your mileage may vary. Some locations may need one of their boosters. An easy phone call to their local support team will let you know what kind of connection you’ll get at your current location.

If you tried Freenet in the past and had problems you really need to try them again. With all the recent changes in the broadband marketplace, Freenet has emerged as a local leader providing Internet all over Lawrence without bandwidth caps and not just keeping business local, but reinvesting it in the community.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Lucky you .... live in a town that has fresh baked cookies delivered to you and can bring some coffee and milk along with it.

Lucky you .... they have a choice of six different cookies delivered to you warm shortly after you call.

These are amazingly awesome cookies. Not something you'd find in a store bakery or even a restaurant. Each cookie is charmingly unique. One might be slightly thicker than the other, or rounder than it's peers. This, like a real pearl, is proof they didn't come from some mass produced homogenized tray but were handcrafted just for you. Lucky you.

Lucky me for getting a bakers dozen (13) and trying two of each. My favorite was definitely the double fudge--a chocolate chocolate chip cookie. But I'm a chocoholic so that's kinda a no brainer. Other varieties included that cookie with the really silly name, snickerdoodle, but with a really serious taste of cinnamon and sugar. Oatmeal raisin was healthy, but I doubt it counts as health food. They had the classics like peanut butter, sugar and chocolate chip. Nothing fancy or exotic, because let's face it, cookies remind you of home and Mom didn't exactly make yours with madagascar vanilla or himalayan salt. She made you cookies that put a smile on your face. Lucky you.

My Mom never baked. Ok, she made those cookies in a tube for bake sales, but that was about it. Lucky me I live in a town where I don't have to nag mom for some cookies before bedtime, I just call Lucky you.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Although this is "yet another chain," it's pretty darn good. Obviously the focus here is noodles, but they have a great selection of soups and salads. Consistency and reliability is always on the menu here.

Vegetarians and vegans will love the options here as they are clearly marked and the calorie conscious among us will find a large number of dishes that fit within a sensible eating plan. Dishes come in two sizes and I frequently get the Med Salad large which is filing and only 310 calories. The price can't be beat.

Service is wicked fast, but the place can get busy so a table is sometimes hard to find and after being in Lawrence a long while, it's a very popular spot. Be warned in the winter though. A few tables are right by the door and it gets extremely drafty. I've made that mistake more than once.

Look for the rice krispie treats at the checkout because life is always better with rice krispie treats!

Log in to comment

Sign up

This is a vegetarian paradise! Before their redesign (note the picture here is out of date) , Encore seemed like a bit of a hole in the wall. That's a good thing because you were always able to get a table. The redesign is spectacular with bamboo artwork, running water fixtures and full windows onto Mass Street so you can do some serious people watching. Now the place tends to be busy, so you can expect to wait a while for a table which is fine with me. The wait is totally worth it.

My favorite dish there by far is the Vegetarian General Tso's Chicken. The same sweet and spicy sauce that makes this General so sought after is drenched over tasty bits of a tofu mix and then served with broccoli and hot chili peppers. Pure delight. They are extremely accommodating to vegetarian requests with vegetable fried rice, pad thai, etc. I also appreciate their willingness to provide brown rice inside of white for those of us health conscious. Ok, how healthy conscious can you really be if you order General Tso's chicken, but you get the point. No matter what flavor of Asian you like, they've got it here. Bobo teas, curries, thai noodles are all available.

Service is acceptable for a college town: spotty at times but competent. A full bar makes an excellent complement to any meal.

Log in to comment

Sign up

For a town smack dab in the middle of American without a large Italian population, we sure have a great selection of Italian restaurants.

Genovese is an outstanding Italian eatery brought to you by the same group that gives us La Parilla and Zen Zero. Similarly Genovese's menu represents the diversity of Italian food, not just the tomato sauce and pasta we grew up with as kids (That's a spicy meatball!)

Obviously like many Italian eateries pasta and sauces are made in house and ingredients tend to be seasonal, so expect an ever changing menu. Pay particular attention to the soups because they are usually outstanding and are excellent compliments to the weather outside: thick hearty soups in the winter and light and refreshing soups in the summer.

One of my favorite menu items are the fried local Wakarusa mushrooms that are quite the treat. These aren't the breaded mushrooms you get at the bar that are pretty much batter balls with something resembling a mushroom stuck in the middle. These fried mushrooms are more in a tempura style: a extremely light coating that makes the mushroom inside crunchy and moist. The dominate flavor is the mushroom, not the coating. Coating is tasty though!

The wine list here is awesome! A selection of wines by the glass and bottle at reasonable and accessible prices. Watch out for wine specials and wine dinners--they aren't to be missed.

Log in to comment

Sign up

This is one of the most unique coffee houses I've ever been to, and I've sure been there a lot. This place is hyperlocal! Started in Lawrence over 15 years ago, this is a great destination for just about anyone.

The atmosphere is comfy, eclectic and always subject to change. Currently it includes some plush couches, benches, and tables. The graffiti room in the back is definitely R rated, so either contribute your own thoughts or learn from the wisdom of previous patrons. Reliable wifi is easy accessible here, but during some times you have to ask for a pass as people treat it like a library rather than a place of business. You should buy something if you want to work here, but don't worry, there's plenty of stuff to eat and drink

For eats, they've got everything. A 24 hour cereal bar comes complete with old and new favorites as well as classic cartoons playing on tiny TVs giving you that retro feel of your childhood. Grilled delicious paninis make a great breakfast or lunch. Personally I'm fond of a breakfast panini with breakfast sausage along with some peppers. All baked goods are made on premise, I think partially just to make you hungry. Not just muffins and cookies, but custom cupcakes you can tart up with various frostings and sprinkles.

Finally the drinks is tasty and numerous. The coffee is curated by the owner and is a custom blend available here only. Drinks have classic Lawrence names like Sex Bomb and Lieutenant Dan (who was actually a barista at one time). The vanilla and chocolate syrups as well as the chai is made in house. During the winter months they have hot apple cider which I highly recommend.

Overall this is an experience you won't forget and you'll rub elbows with just about everyone in Lawrence. If you don't stop by here during your visit to Lawrence, you haven't really experienced the town.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Local, organic and sustainable are three things always on the menu here and what makes this place a legend. Years ago this place led a national charge towards focusing on healthy food that is locally sourced whenever possible. Sure, things may occasionally cost a bit more here, but anyone who knows food politics knows that cheap food comes out rather expensive.

Instead of purchasing food at rock-bottom subsidized prices (corn anyone?), owner Hilary Brown focuses on the impact food has on our community. That means you pay more to get quality ingredients because suppliers typically are local and thus want to pay a living wage. The beef isn't imported from Argentina and the vegetables from China, but usually places more exotic like Baldwin and Tonganoxie. You can actually drive out and see these farms to know where the food comes from.

The menu often changes due to supplies and the whim and experimentation of the chefs. Diners with food allergies will love this place because you can ask the exact ingredients of practically any item on the menu. While the place isn't gluten free, gluten free is often an option on many dishes.
Vegetarians will adore this place because she has the World Best Veggie Burger: that's its name and it 100% lives up to it. This isn't fake meat, but a healthy protein mix of ancient grains such as quinoa (a protein powerhouse) fried up in extra virgin coconut oil that is rich in lauric acid. You can even buy multipacks to go.

Be sure to follow them on Twitter and fan them on Facebook to find out their daily specials!

Log in to comment

Sign up

Darin Lutz and his crew did a wonderful job on my roof. He worked well with my insurance and got the job done in a timely fashion after a major storm. When small problems developed, he took care of it ASAP. Five years later roof is still awesome. Honesty, Integrity and experience sums it up nicely.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Ben and his team do an absolutely fantastic job with great turnaround at a competitive price. I've used them for vehicle signage for DoctorDave™ Computer Repair as well as the sign on my door at 4105 West 6th street. They are a locally owned small business that understands the needs of other small businesses while still being able to handle the bigger jobs.

They even write you a personalized thank you note for your business. That's using ol' fashioned customer service in an industry that heavily relies on technology.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Not much on the menu for me, but the baked potatoes are HUGE. I mean freaking HUGE and roasted to perfection. Ok I'm weird, but I put a ton of pickled and BBQ sauce on the top and it's a tasty meal.

What you really need to try is their smoked turkey for thanksgiving. Call ahead and you'll have a complete smoked turkey for your holiday guests. No fussing with the oven or the fryer and your guests will have a unique meal that was no trouble for you at all.

That's one of the keys here: the sauce. Lots of variety right there on the table.

The owner is pretty much on premises and is happy to answer questions and chat things up--and he speaks his mind! He'll tell you quite a few stories about road rallies his been to with his catering truck.

Be prepared to get there early. Meat is prepared daily and when they run out....they run out . That's what's great about a local place. They don't just defrost the meat made in some factory kitchen, Biemers stuff is made right here in Lawrence

Log in to comment

Sign up

This place is a rare find not just in Lawrence, but the entire region. When I tell my foodie friends I live in Lawrence, they ask about 715. Despite it's small size, it's reputation could fill Allen Fieldhouse.

Although I'm primarily a vegetarian, I'm comfortable eating the chicken here because the source of their food is right there up on the chalkboard. The fact I can actually go out to the farm and meet the farmer who raised my food is one reason why 715 is so respected--it's a localvore mecca (or would that be Vatican city?).

If you don't try their 715 lunch special, face palm yourself now. It's probably the best deal in Lawrence. A satisfying soup and pizza meal for about the price of some buffet down the street.

Seriously, try the pizza. An oval disk of pure heaven. Thin, crispy and oh so yummy.

Seating is cozy an the place can get noisy when it's busy, but some people like that highly-energy atmosphere. Go there on the weekends for a early brunch and sip a handmade bloody mary for a unique experience.

Log in to comment

Sign up

Ron is an absolutely amazing insurance agent. I've had my home, autos, and business insured with him for years. While he isn't the cheapest in town, he's really the best. What the point of cheap insurance if you have to go through constant hassles just to have claims paid. I learned that the hard way when I bought insurance online. Cheap because they don't pay claims.

Whenever I've had a problem with a claim, Ron goes to bat for me and gets me fair compensation for my loss. He meets with us regularly to review the policies to make sure it's a good fit and we aren't under or over insured.

I've recommend him to countless people and always get positive responses back. When my Mom moved to the area from out of state-Ron was the agent I wanted her to use. If it's good enough for my Mom, 'nuff said.